Tag: foot

#365daysofbiking Dem feet tho


July 5th – Riding through Aldridge on the canal down through Longwood and Park Hall, the water life was busy and the canal limpid and green.

What interested me most were the water birds: I was once again reminded how very odd swan feet are – by a cygnet in this case – it’s foot tucked up on it’s back in rest position. They odd leathery texture – and those claws!

There was a gorgeously aloof, elderly heron too – who was active and looked in good health, except when he walked off I noticed a curious growth on his foot.

It wasn’t affecting his walk at all and he didn’t seem to bother him at all. I found myself wondering if it was some kind of ganglion like humans get.

Strange.

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August 10th – So, continuing Susan Forster’s seven day wildlife challenge, no such series would be complete without the swans. Truculent, grumpy, aggressive and temperamental, we all love these large waterfowl. 

I spotted the Bentley Bridge family – still doing well with their single cygnet – at the disused basin in Pleck on my way to work. Just one at first, drifting in classic leg-up rest position, preening with intense concentration. 

Swan feet are fascinating – so leathery and hard-wearing. A triumph of natural engineering.

The other two members of the family were nearby. I notice junior is now, like the Watermead cygnets in Brownhills, developing white back feathers now, and all trace of juvenile grey fluff has gone.

Oh, how these birds enthral me.

August 7th – A great day – sunny. warm, still – great Indian Summer stuff. After around 6 weeks of nursing a foot injury, it was time to push it again – a long ride and some strenuous climbing was in order. 

For too long, I’v been doing only work rides, or short stuff; dropping gears to climb hills and generally riding like an old man.

I utterly punished myself on and off road; sharp climbs, speed, and plenty of honking (pedalling stood up). I was surprised at my energy. I seem to be losing weight at the moment, too, and was pleasantly surprised at my stamina considering.

Hopefully, this isn’t summer’s last yahoo and I can get some decent riding in at last before summer’s last breath.

Today, I fell back in love with it.

July 18th – Again, I made my escape, and I slipped into Birmingham mid-afternoon and got the train to Kings Norton, intending to ride into Birmingham University where I had a call to make, and then on to the city centre along the canal, which is great from King’s Norton all the way into the city.

It is when it’s open, that is…

It turns out the towpath is shut until September between Bourneville and University, for resurfacing. I slipped through the barriers easily at Bourneville, and rode a peaceful and generally rideable route all the way to the barriers at the other end, which were impossible to transgress, so I doubled back and found a way over wasteland down to the Aston Webb Road. 

Hot and bothered, I made the visit I intended to, and rode into Brum on the canal, which was lovely.

It was again a great afternoon – but very, very hot indeed.

Just one thing spoiled it – I have a foot injury, or so it would seem. I don’t know what I’ve done, but my foot is agony to walk on; not bad to cycle on, but it makes it more difficult. This is unusual for me, and I hope it heals soon.

Rather than ride home from Birmingham, I caught the train. 

December 16th – On my return, I stopped to play around with long exposure shots at one of my favourite spots – the footbridge over the Chasetown Bypass near Chasewater. I love the curving lines of the road here, the streetlights and the way all the surfaces and lines interact. It’s a lonely spot, but there’s something quite beautiful about it at night.

I guess it’s that Late Night Feelings thing again…